Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-01-23
a ROEiEC PICTURE.
AIGss. GGaOTeI for seven Years.
TCincfuuau Fauuirr-1

Tic WORK C@On which ara italian
AIGis. Eaaorel for seven Years.
Cincinnati Eaquirorl
Sir Knight Goshom and Mr.. Gost, Of
the Art Museum, have lat3iy been en-
tEus;astic anil anxious t. purchase q
work Of art that is an heirloom Of ~
Achillc Oliyicri, and which IN E1qUr.r
man WIS permitted t. look at vest rlly
afternoon. 1t is Mosaic pictur, il
colors which weighs $50 pounds, and IS
about two feet by two and half square,
representing the "D;scoyery of The lie
mains of 81. Marcus" the cyangc list
and patron saint of Venice. TIE pic
ture WIS seven years in being com
| pletcd Ivy the artist, Signor Luigi Tad
del, Of Romc, who was working az the
Mosaic factory Of the present owners
father, who bore all the expense, and
for 1t was ennohled. The picture WAS
exhibited all over Europe, end the En-
ropoan art authorities were loud in its
praise.
st. Marcus is not only the patron
saint of Venice, but the coat-of-arms OF
the city Of the sea bore the lion OF IT.
Marcus, as did the Venetian vessels on
their fiGas, while the money o. tn r.
public showed the figure OF the cylngo-
list on one side and tha lion on tn
other The saint died in Palest.ne,
and when Venice was mt the height oi
her glory two merchants, Buono q
Nalamocco and Rustico iii ToZ,-lio
went 10 Jerusalem and stole the holy
from its grave, packed it in q barrel OF
pork, for which the Turks have a holv
horror, and safely landed it in Venice
OF course, a great fuss was raised by
TIE Venetians when the body OF their
patron saint was brought back, and
they erected an elaborate tomb. aud
over the tomb q cathedral called ST
Marcus, which cost many millions 81
dollars. During the middle ages tine
tomb was repaired, end the remains
could not he found. They were lost
for few hundred years, when, the
cathedral being repaired, they were
found while Doge Giovanni partecipl-
sio WAS the ruler The picture repre-
sonts the discovery AMI Identification
Of the remains The doge ordered
Mosaic picture to be male represent
ing the scene, and st iii one OF tha
arches at the entrance OF the church,
where it is to be seen 10 this day. The
original for fins MosAic picture was de
signed by Iaulo RiZZo, and executed in
Mosaic by cebaatiano del PoZzo, :ho
best Mosaic setter Of that are
Tie academy Of Fine 8rts OF Italy,
dcsiroUs to see whether the artists %.
modem times could equal those Of for
mcr ages, offered q p1ze t. the ar,is.
who would copy tn picture equally
good in workmanship o. The Byzantine
style. The present picture. after seven
years q labor, WIS produced. IS ~
illustration Of thcmiautenos3 d the la-
Eor-tlc head Of one OF the figures Is
about the size of 2 niclnl-whcn "a. eye
is examined withapowcrful microscope
it j. seen t. lie made up Of fourteen
tiny pieces OF Mosaic. ',hc hand OF the
dCcc, who Is at the foot Of the corpse.
is extended. and the artist was on.
monthin making this.
The picture has had 2 remarkable
history. CEeyalicr Oiiyicri was appoint
Cd commissioner for Italy Mt the time
Of the international Exposition at Mel
bourne, Australia, and when tine cor
vctte sent out by the italian Govern
mont to convey the treasures was re-
turning the vessel was damaged by
striking rock near the coast Of the
island OF Ladrone. The frame OF the
picture WIS ruined. Aeain-in Sep
tcmhcr, iSS4-thc picture was shipped
by the steamer austria to New Orleans.
October 2Jth the vessel WIS lost on
the shores of Scotland. and months
afterward the box containing the pic
ture was washed ashore. Superstitious
people the world ovcrbclieve that Proyi-
dence would not destroy the treasure on
account Of st. Marcus, and the bishop
Of Venice bestowed upon il his blessing.
Archbishop Elder and a number Of
Catholic priests here visited the picture
out Of curiosity. In detail the picture
represents the remains OF ST. Marcus as
the authorities are identifying them.
The body OF the saint lies on Il sarco-
phagus covered with IL pail of purple
velvet bound with the fringe OF gold.
Near tie foot is the doge, with his hand
extended. Ermine iur covers his shoul-
ders, While the reproduction Of the rich
coloring and beautiful drapings Of his
ducai robe Of golden cloth are wonder
hi exhibition of art. Senator Ammira
stands at the left OF the Goge. His head,
neck, Hack hair, and beard are cx-
quisitely wrought Around the head
Of the saint stand the clergy sur
rounded by mass-servers with candles.
The bishop IS in the act of blessing the
remains. To the right is a noble lady
holding a little boy by the hand; while
the cut oil her dress displays the con
tor of beautiful shoulders and mus
cular arms. The British Museum Of
ferod Sienor Olivier $4,000 for the
work of art, but as it is an heirloom
from his father he cannot part with it.
1t has been packed in a queer safe made
to order, which is about eight inches
high and only large enough to hold the
picture. 1t was being packed yester-
day to be shipped to the Boston Art
Museum.